This was fortunate as, in addition to the external walls of the house, a third of the internal walls were also made from fibro sheeting – a hard-wearing material containing asbestos. These internal walls were mainly located in the “sleep-out” area at the rear of the house. Originally an open verandah, this had been crudely sheeted to create additional living space.

The other internal area containing asbestos was the tiled bathroom, another common place where asbestos is found. As the condition of the internal fibro sheeting was poor, undertaking any renovations first meant it had to be removed.

In this series of audio slideshows, Zoë relays some of the decisions that had to be made and experiences she encountered along the way.